This is the case of Jubilee Jenkins, who was born with a condition making her allergic to human contact of any kind. After almost dying in high school from kissing a boy, Jubilee spent the last nine years held up in her house refusing to leave. With the recent passing of her mother, 27-year-old Jubilee must find her way not only back in the world but in the work force in order to pay for all those things she had been taking for granted. After finding a job at the local library, Jubilee meets some interesting characters in the form of a man and his son.

Eric Keegan is a recently divorced man who has moved to town for work. Eric is struggling trying to patch up his relationship with his teenage daughter (who lives with her mom), and help his adopted son Aja, who he gained custody of when his best friend died. Eric feels like his life is falling apart and he has no control that is until he meets Jubilee at the local library.

"Close Enough to Touch" brings up the concept of some people are meant to meet because of the impact they will have in our lives. Eric and Jubilee were destined to meet because she is the only one who can truly help him understand his son and everything that is going on with him, as well as not be afraid to really listen to what his children are trying to tell him. Jubilee, on the other hand, needs Eric to show her that not all people are bad and that sometimes we do need the comfort of other people in our lives.

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What makes this book so wonderful is that aside from the being allergic to people part, the book is very relatable. There is no sweeping off the feet romance but instead two people getting to know each other while they battle all of their personal demons and figure out how the other person fits into their life. It is a realistic love story that shows that love is hard work at times and not just the fairy tale that we see in movies and even other books. Sometimes things don't turn out like we expect them to and sometimes things are completely different than we had thought. Mike explains this best when he says:

"Relationships are all about timing. Because love — it'll show up when you least expect it, when you're not at all looking for it, in the middle of a small-town library with a wild-haired woman wearing a nightgown. When it comes to timing, love doesn't care."

This books sheds light on how people with chronic conditions or allergies can struggle with daily life all while being light hearted and keeping the reader engaged throughout. Through in depth characters and a well written plot, readers will be begging for more as they fall more in love not only with the main story but with Aja and how as misunderstood as he is, he truly is the one who understands Jubilee the most.

Fans of JoJo Moyes' "Me Before You" will find home with Colleen Oakley and the characters she writes as well as a serious story with humor. Many times while reading this book I found myself laughing at the characters and their crazy antics. While some of the things they did were slightly unrealistic I couldn't help but be drawn closer to the characters. Books like that in my opinion are the best kinds of books because they capture not your head but your heart as well.

Stories of star-crossed lovers are constantly repeated throughout history and while this book follows the same pattern it does not disappoint in forms of originality and humor. "Close Enough to Touch" a fresh twist on one of the oldest plot lines in history.

"Close Enough to Touch" is available on Overdrive and the Sterling Public Library

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